136 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



his old tunes, his lilts, his pauses, and his varia- 

 tions, I was always excessively pleased. At one 

 time I was afraid that these old tunes, and this 

 ancient instrument, might, from neglect of encour- 

 agement, get out of use, and I did everything in 

 my power to prevent this, and to revive it, by 

 urging Peacock to teach pupils to become masters 

 of this kind of music ; and I flatter myself that my 

 efforts were not lost. I was afraid that the 

 Northumberland family were beginning to feel 

 indifferent, or to overlook these their ancient 

 minstrels, who had for ages past been much 

 esteemed, and kept in attendance by their fore- 

 fathers. It was, however, with great pleasure I 

 found that they had appointed William Cant,* a 

 pupil of old William Lamshaw, to be piper to the 

 Northumberland Regiment of Militia ; and he kept 

 up with great spirit and effect this department of 

 their music while he remained in the regiment. 

 Nor was the regiment behind in the other depart- 

 ments of music ; for it was allowed by judges 

 that their fifers and drummers were inferior to 

 none in the kingdom. One man, in particular- 

 John Bowman it was asserted, was the best per- 

 former on the fife that was "known in the world/' 



* On his death, I sent the following notice to Mr. Walker's news- 

 paper : "July I5th, 1821, died, Mr. William Cant, of the Blue Bell 

 Inn, Newcastle, aged 70 years. He was an excellent performer on 

 the violin and the Northumberland pipes; and, like his great pre- 

 decessors on the latter instrument Turnbull, Gilley, Old Lamshaw, 

 and Peacock he kept up the ancient tunes with all their charming 

 lilts and pauses, unspoiled by the modern improvers of music, with 

 their ' Idiot notes impertinently long.' He played 'his native wood- 

 notes wild,' such as pleased the ears of the yeomanry of old at Otter- 

 burn, Hedgley Moor, and Flodden Field. For 



' Whene'er his pipe did silence break, 

 You'd thought the instrument would speak.' " 



